Bitters - Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters Batch 4, 2010
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Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters Batch 4, 2010
Fee Brothers, Rochester, New York
PROOF: 35
TYPE: Bitters
AGE: 1 year
PRICE: $14.95 4 oz 118 ML
Notes: Fee Brothers has been in business since April 1,1864 in Rochester, New York. Along with being one of the few remaining manufacturers of bitters, they also are one of the largest bar mixes and supply firms in the U.S. and produce flavorings and syrups for coffee shops, restaurants, etc.
It actually contains real angostura bark unlike Angostura Brand Bitters. Like the difference between a regular pastis and absinthe, the small addition of a original ingredient, can make a huge difference.
Aged in Jack Daniel's barrels in a temperature controlled environment.
First Impression: Very pronounced cinnamon, followed by ginger, gentian, angustora, cardamom, caraway, scents of bitter zest of bark and citrus oils (orange?) also. Seems to have soem clove components and also some vague familiarity to Peychauds.
Appearance: Different color this year- more of a red orange like fresh rust on steel than the usual brown caramel/toffee color, lets you keep track of where and how much you used.
Taste: This batch seems more like their Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters than their other three .
As with the first three releases a touch sweeter than the Old Fashioned Aromatic with some oak pepper / char elements with hints of vanilla with a very nice gentian and angostura dryness. And all of them are always slightly sweeter and a good bit more complex than Angostura Brand bitters with cinnamon, gentian, cassia, quinine, etc. Nice lingering finish drying finish with fair amount of gentian and other bitter alkali herbs. Cinnamon is a touch much more aromatic, vanilla and orange / citrus are a bit more pronounced than batch one, two, or three but it is a well integrated bitter but it almost seems a bit more like Angostura as there are clove elements that are more pronounced than in previous years.
TASTING ROUND UP:
Batch One (2007) is earthier with more angustora and bitter herbs with citrus on nosing, more bitter on tasting. Note: 2 Barrels - Jack Daniels
Batch Two (2008) is more subdued (and the most subdued of the three) with more clove and bark with ginger sweetness and zest.
Batch Three (2009) has a lot more cinnamon and cassia notes, with a good deal of quinine-like notes for finish. Note: 4 barrels - Jack Daniels
Drinks: This bitters can be used in the large number of drinks recipes calling for bitters (unless another type is specified) or for baking and cooking. Also great to add to mineral water as a simple drink - I call it an "adult" soda.
Bottle: Simple paper wrapped clear glass bottle, with a screw cap closure. It is distinguished from the other bottles by the simple black color of the printing with slightly darker brown accents at the shoulders in the script work,without the brown shading extending into the Fee Brothers logo (logo area has no shading). Drawings of upright barrels below the Fee Brothers logo with reverse printing or negative of the label. in previous editions the printing was black on wrapper, now it is reversed and the letters are outlined /surrounded by black ink. Black colored shrink wrap around the top and neck. Screw cap as opposed to flip top closure found on some of their other bitters.
Other: Other varieties of bitters include: Aztec Chocolate, Cherry, Celery, Cranberry, Grapefruit, Lemon, Mint, Old Fashioned Aromatic (Angostura), (West Indian) Orange, Peach, Plum, Rhubarb, Black Walnut , and the others of the Whisky Barrel series : Whiskey Barrel Aged 1 (2007) , Whiskey Barrel Aged 2 (2008), Whiskey Barrel Aged 3 (2009), and Whiskey Barrel Aged 5 (2011)
Final Thoughts:
Price has increased since last release but still competitive with many of the other bitters that are cropping up now (Urban Moonshine, Bitter Truth etc., ). This is possibly their most bold yet harmonious blend and in my opinion their best release so far.This and the fact it is a new addition to the series, a must have for most cocktail mavens.
Website: http://www.feebrothers.com or order from Keg Works
Quick loading website. Straight-forward, easy-to-navigate.
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